Staff Newsletter Nov. 6, 2025

On the cover: The NISD Police Department held its second annual PD Pumpkin Decorating Contest. Voting was open to anyone who stopped by to check out the creative creations by Police Department staff. The contest theme this year was "Disney." Winners were Officer Samantha Avery, Best Overall with her Bedazzled Cinderella (pictured on cover); (And pictured below) Communications Officer Angela Garcia, Cutest Pumpkin with her Winnie the Pooh creation; Officer Aaron Luna, Most Imaginative with his Cinderella Carriage pumpkin; and Officer Stanford Smith, Best Outlaw (didn't follow the theme rules) with his E.T. pumpkin. 

Middle School Football Champs Crowned

The best of Northside ISD was on display, as we packed the stadium with community support, bands, spirit, high school collaboration, and outstanding play on the field. The evening was capped off by a game-winning touchdown as time expired in the 8th-grade game.   

Special congratulations to our champions:

• 8th Grade Football Champions Briscoe Bengals
• 7th Grade Football Champions Straus Mavericks

We would also like to recognize our runner-ups, Folks MS and Jefferson MS, for terrific seasons.

Thank you all for your support of our student-athletes and coaches!

PL Saturday

You're invited to join us for Professional Learning on Saturday, Nov. 8, at the Northside Activity Center. Choose from a variety of engaging three-hour and 90-minute sessions on topics including AI integration, classroom organization, cognitive engagement, and movement-based learning. Participants will leave armed with powerful strategies and practical tools to supercharge learning and enhance student engagement. Be sure to register for these exciting sessions using the Unified Talent numbers listed in the flyer.

Screencastify in Schoology

Screencastify is now integrated into Schoology, allowing students to watch videos and answer quiz questions within the LMS. This integration also enables auto-grading of video quiz questions and syncing them to TAC. Directions for adding videos can be found here.

Teachers can also create an assignment allowing students to record their own Screencastify videos within Schoology. Directions for students recording their own videos can be found here. 

This resource is also available on the Schoology Support site, accessible through the HUB. For a listing of previous Schoology articles, click here.

Magic Bytes

Today’s featured MagicSchool tool is for all our elementary teachers out there!  The RLA department created a custom tool designed to provide students with stronger, clearer feedback aligned with the NISD writing rubrics. The NISD Writing Feedback Tool makes it faster and easier: just paste in a draft, choose the grade level and focus, and get instant, personalized comments you can share or tweak. What makes this tool a CUSTOM tool? The elementary writing rubrics are already uploaded for you! Use this tool to provide: 

• Personalized Student Feedback
• Consistent Grading Support
• More Time for Conferencing with Students

Google Meet Transcripts: A Powerful Tool for Maximizing Meeting and Lesson Value

The automatic transcription feature in Google Meet revolutionizes how we capture and review important discussions and lectures.  Transcripts convert spoken words into a text-based document, making meetings more accessible for all participants and providing a record of the conversation. Key benefits include:

• Effortless Documentation: An automated transcript is generated during the meeting, reducing the need for manual note-taking and ensuring that details are captured.
• Easy Access and Sharing: The transcript is automatically saved to Google Drive and attached to the Google Calendar event immediately after the meeting.
• Enhanced Review: Saved in Google Docs format, the text is easily searchable, editable, and can be used to quickly locate specific points or create accurate meeting minutes.
• Improved Accessibility: The feature increases comprehensibility and inclusion, ensuring that individuals with hearing or speaking impairments can follow the content.

These features are now live in your Google Meet. Visit nisd.tech/google for more great new features!

Your bond dollars at work

Big changes are happening at Esparza Elementary! Thanks to the 2022 school bond, the campus has a fresh new look. Families are welcomed with new parking lots, canopies, and a bus loop. 

Inside, the campus features a 15,000 sq. ft. cafeteria and gym equipped with a rock wall and a state-of-the-art video and sound system to keep learning engaging and fun. New collaborative classrooms provide students with space to explore creative learning approaches.  

Learn about other 2022 school bond projects at nisd.net/bond

Experience Monster Jam® Live and Become a Fan for Life

Monster Jam rolls into the Alamodome on Jan. 24, 2026, at 7 p.m. and Jan. 25 at 3 p.m Jan. 25.

With awesome trucks, amazing stunts, action-packed excitement, and big air, it’s the definition of fun for everyone! See the world’s most popular trucks like Grave Digger®, El Toro Loco®, Sparkle Smash™, As Big As It Gets!™, and much more.

Click here for information about how NISD Employees can purchase discounted tickets.

Supply A Teacher box

The Kids In Need Foundation’s Supply A Teacher program aims to alleviate the burden of providing essential resources to teachers in underserved schools. Applications and awards are accepted year-round, so teachers, don't miss out! Click here to apply or contact the Grants Dept. at 210-397-8563.

With each Supply A Teacher box we deliver, a teacher receives items they need to fuel a full semester of active learning for their entire class of students, whether they are teaching in the classroom or via distance learning. Applications are open to teachers at schools where 50% or more of students are enrolled in the National School Lunch Program. Applications and awards will be accepted year-round, so teachers, don't miss out!

The NEF Silent Auction is open! Don't miss out.

The Northside Education Foundation (NEF) auction is now open and will close promptly at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 12. Support our NEF schools and get some early Christmas shopping done. 

Ready to win?

1. Register here and create your login.
2. Download the Givi App now! This ensures you're set to snag a last-minute deal and outbid the competition.

🔥 BONUS OPPORTUNITY: Preview Items & Win Big!

Click here to preview all items and grab a Golden Raffle Ticket for "A Taste of San Antonio"—a spectacular prize package worth over $3,500!